Police charged a man with allegedly fatally shooting a national title-winning University of Wisconsin-Whitewater gymnast Friday night, according to authorities.
The suspect, identified as a 23-year-old male, allegedly shot Kara Welsh, 21, after an apparent argument in an apartment near campus, police said in a press statement. When officers responded to a report of an individual who had been shot multiple times, they found Welsh dead and the suspect, who was known to Welsh, in the apartment, according to the statement. (RELATED: Rice University Student Locked Down After Coed Found Dead In Dorm Room)
A man has been arrested in the shooting death of a national title-winning University of Wisconsin-Whitewater gymnast near campus, police said. https://t.co/JHuTQ2wUX6
— NBC News (@NBCNews) September 2, 2024
“Through investigation, it was determined that leading up to the shooting, an altercation had occurred between the two,” police said.
The alleged murder took place in an off-campus apartment a mile east of the university’s main campus, NBC News reported.
Welsh, who was known as a vault “phenom” holding multiple school records, won an individual national vault title last year, according to a statement released by the university’s athletic department.
“To put into words the impact Kara had on the Warhawk community is impossible,” Coach Jen Regan said. “A powerful athlete, dedicated teammate, and the light in everyone’s dark days, Kara truly lifted each and every one of us up in her time as a Warhawk gymnast. There are no words to describe the void we all feel in our hearts, but Kara’s legacy will live on through Warhawk gymnastics forever.”
“We know the news of Kara’s death is heartbreaking for our close-knit university community,” University Chancellor Corey King said in a message Saturday, “It is a time when we are all called upon to support one another, to process, and to grieve.”
The suspect was booked into the Walworth County Jail on suspicion of first-degree intentional homicide, endangering safety while armed and disorderly conduct while armed, NBC News reported.
It is unclear if the suspect remains locked up, according to the outlet.
A GoFundMe page has been established for Welsh, the athletic department said.